China's Strategic Interests in the South China Sea: Power and Resources by Sigfrido Burgos Cáceres

Author:Sigfrido Burgos Cáceres [Cáceres, Sigfrido Burgos]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781857438239
Google: pdXGsgEACAAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 27134470
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2015-07-31T07:12:37+00:00

East Asia and the Western Pacific: power struggle epicentre

The countries and territories conventionally included in East Asia are China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan. East Asia represents approximately 28% of the Asian land mass and about 40% of the population of Asia. The Pacific Ocean covers an area measuring 64m. sq miles, representing almost 46% of the Earth’s water surface. The Western Pacific comprises only the western part of the Pacific Ocean, its waters washing the shorelines of East Asia.9 The combination of a massive land mass, a vast ocean, and a number of large market economies experiencing growth makes East Asia and the Western Pacific a dynamic hub for commercial exchanges and maritime flows.

Indeed, the many ethical predicaments and moral quandaries that warfare generated in the 20th century are not likely to be reproduced in the 21st century, mainly because international organizations seem to provide some restraints and because economic ties serve as effective deterrents to conflicts and wars. Some commentators believe that security dynamics in East Asia and the Western Pacific will tend to be concentrated on naval domains, where intelligence and military officers, in consultation with experts in defence, will thrash out the minutiae without the intervention of civilians. The more disciplined and steadfast handling by military men is said to be much preferred given the political profile of some leaders in East Asian countries—China and North Korea appearing more assertive, authoritarian, defiant and determined than their peers.10

Should a country seek to impose its hegemony upon the region, it is unlikely that this will immediately lead to conflict or war. Naturally, misunderstandings or skirmishes are bound to occur, but a progressive accumulation of power will be achieved through a combination of inveiglement and diplomatic manoeuvering. When looking at the behaviours of nation states over an extended period of time, it is quite safe to conclude that alliances, ententes and partnerships between actors in a specific region take place at variable speeds and under revisionist modes: a careful, tactical and utilitarian affiliation to a dominant economic, military and political power. Even if there is a race for supremacy in a region in which two actors are moving towards a confrontation, the rational expected outcome need not be conflict or war. It will be recalled that the Cold War taught the world that a contest between superpowers does not necessarily result in the annihilation of both.

Since history provides evidence of peaceful co-existence between countries, and a growing body of evidence suggests that strong trade links override belligerent behaviour, it is not difficult to imagine that the Asian continent, and indeed the whole world, will be able to achieve shared prosperity, power and security if China and the USA handle their most striking differences and disparities amicably, tactfully and intelligently. While it is clear that cultural and social homogeneity is not the desired result of co-operation, it is agreed by all that the objective of minimizing conflicts is a collective goal.11

Now, let’s consider the

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.